The present invention relates to a middle electrical connector intervening between two connectors to connect the two connectors.
A conventional middle electrical connector has a middle member. Two mating connectors are fitted into the middle member to electrically connect with each other through the middle member. The middle member includes an arrangement plate made formed of an insulation member, and is provided with a terminal on a surface of the arrangement plate. The terminal extends between two edge portions of the arrangement plate situated on opposite sides thereof, so that the two mating connectors are fitted into the middle electrical connector in the edge portions. The terminal and the arrangement plate may be molded together to hold the terminal on the arrangement plate. However, a cost of such a molding method is generally high.
Instead of molding the terminal and the arrangement plate together, an arrangement plate may be structured to hold a terminal as disclosed in Patent Reference. In Patent Reference, a recess portion has a groove shape to accommodate the terminal on a surface of the arrangement plate. Accordingly, the terminal having a strip shape may be pressed to fit into the recess portion from a direction perpendicular to a terminal arrangement plate surface to be held. Further, an opening edge portion of the recess portion is pressed to crush in order to securely hold the terminal.
Patent Reference Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-111140
However, according to Patent Reference, improvements may be necessary. Such improvements include a mechanical issue relating to how to attach the terminal to the arrangement plate and an electrical issue relating to the terminal attached to the arrangement plate.
First, from a mechanical point of view, the terminal is formed in a long strip shape, and an entire length of the terminal is pressed to fit into the recess portion of the arrangement plate having a groove shape evenly. Further, it is necessary to press and crush an opening edge portion of the recess portion, so that the terminal is held securely. Accordingly, a manufacturing process becomes complicated. When a pressing force to crush is too strong, the terminal and the arrangement plate may be damaged and may fail to hold securely due to the damage. Further, when the pressing force to crush is too weak, the terminal and the arrangement plate may not be able to hold enough.
Next, from an electrical point of view, the terminal may form an imperceptible space without closely contacting the arrangement plate surface depending on an amount of the pressing force of the terminal against the recess portion. Further, when at least one of the terminal and the arrangement plate has a plane surface that is warped and is not a perfect plane surface, a space may be created in a portion that is not a plane even though the terminal and the arrangement plate are closely contacted in other portions.
Since the terminal has an extremely long length compared to a width and a thickness thereof, it is difficult to closely contact each other over the entire length. The space of this type has layers of air that deteriorates a transmission characteristic upon high-speed transmission.
In consideration to the issues described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a middle electrical connector having a middle member. In the middle electrical connector, a terminal can be attached to an arrangement plate with ease regardless of a length of the terminal. Further, the middle member can closely contact with an arrangement rows through an entire length and has a secured transmission characteristic.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.